Legion
by Raedon Gallus
Summary: Twenty-five years after Ichigo Kurosaki regains his Shinigami powers, a new force threatens the Living World. Can he stop the Neo-Espada before his family and friends are hurt? SLight IchiRuki,and a few other pairings. T for now, may be M later.
1. Introduction

**A/N: Alright, here's some facts: I started watching BLEACH again while I was at my dad's this summer. I finished the series, 'cause apparently it's over/taking a break until Kubo finishes the last arc/whatever other theories are out there. I became sad. I've been watching BLEACH for the last three years now, and it's ending almost made me cry. Not to mention the fact that the ending made you WANT more episodes with a passion. Anyway, I restarted the series and thought, "Why not write a fanfic?" This is the second fan-fiction I've had high hopes for, the only one I think will actually make it onto the site. If it doesn't, well then you won't be reading it. But I hope it will. I apologize in advance for any OOC-ness. Constructive criticism is welcome, and so are flames. Spending time in flames either makes one hot, fireproof, or dead. I wanna see which way I go.**

**Unless Tite Kubo sent me an e-mail that I haven't read, I don't own BLEACH. Nor do I own anything else you may recognize. This story and all OC's in it are MINE (a.k.a. copyright to the author). Do not redistribute without my permission. If you have a problem with that, I have a lawyer.**

* * *

"Ichigo! Get up, fool! If you're late for another Captains' Meeting, I'll make your life hell!"

_Ah, geez. Mom's at it again . . . _

Raedon Kurosaki woke up, once again, to the sound of his mother, Rukia, yelling at her husband. He yawned, rolled over, and tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately . . .

"Raedon! Gallus! You two get up, too! The Shinigami Academy isn't going to come to you!"

Gallus rolled over, hopped out of bed, and walked out.

_How he wakes up so easily is beyond me . . . _Raedon thought. _Oh, well. If I don't get up, Mom's gonna . . ._

At that exact moment, the petite woman threw the door open.

"Raedon. Get up." Raedon jumped up and practically ran out of the room.

_Why is she so much scarier when she doesn't yell? _he wondered. He started getting ready, somehow finishing before his neat-freak brother, and sat down in the kitchen to wait for him. He watched his little sisters, Masaki and Hisana, scarf down their breakfast and dash out the door. They were three and five years younger than the twins, respectively, and were therefore in a lower class at the Academy. The lower classes started sooner, in the hopes that they could drill punctuality into the students by making them get up an hour earlier.

Gallus finally finished getting ready, and the twins walked quickly out the door.

Ten hours later, the twins and their sisters walked slowly back home. Raedon had once again defeated everyone in his zanpakuto training class, Gallus had wiped the floor with the kido class for the umpteenth time in a row, and the girls had . . . er . . . done whatever the girls did at school. Gallus never asked, so he never knew. It wasn't that he didn't care about the girls, he just figured that they'd tell him if he needed to know. Or if they felt like bragging. They completely opened up to Raedon, for some reason. They said he was "more fun." Gallus sighed.

* * *

Ichigo sat on the front porch with Rukia, watching as his kids walked home from school.

_My kids . . . It's still hard to believe I'm a dad, and Raedon and Gallus are eighteen now! _He watched as Masaki, the only one of his kids to inherit his orange hair, slapped her dark-haired older brother on the back of the head. Raedon almost fell to the ground, and Ichigo laughed.

"She's just like her mother, so abusi-" Ichigo was cut off as Rukia slapped the back of his head.

"Shut up, Strawberry."

"Love you, too, Midget." He laughed again as Masaki and Raedon started wrestling on the path to the house, with Gallus trying to separate them. Unfortunately for the blonde (_And where the hell did he get that hair from, anyway? Recessive gene? _Ichigo wondered), the rowdy teens had no intention of stopping their fight, and he just ended up landing on his butt. Hisana, the only one not involved in the fight at this point, greeted her parents as she approached the porch.

"What started this one, Hisana?"

"Raedon called her a midget. Again." Ichigo turned to Rukia.

"Like I said, she's just like you! Even has your height complex!" This earned him another blow to the head.

* * *

"Mom, Dad, I'm going out now! I'm meeting Hanako for some zanpakuto practice!" Raedon called as he walked out the door.

"Who's Hanako?" Rukia asked.

"Shuhei and Rangiku's daughter. I'm surprised you don't know her." Ichigo replies.

"Wait . . . Is our son going on a date?" Rukia asked, a stunned look on her face.

"I know! I was shocked, too! He almost had me convinced he was gay or something!"

"I'M STILL ON THE PORCH, YOU JERKS!"

* * *

"There you are, Kurosaki! I thought you'd never show up!" Raedon heard as he walked into the underground training area. His parents said it had once belonged to a shopkeeper who lived in the Living World.

"Zip it, Abarai! Mom and Dad are apparently amazed that Hanako agreed to help me train, they kept me at the house for half an hour to give me "the Talk."

Renji Abarai, Jr., cringed. "Dude . . . T.M.I. I did not want to hear that."

Hanako laughed, nearly doubling over. "They thought we were dating? Are you sure your parents aren't insane?"

Raedon sighed, slightly hurt. "No, I know they're insane. Although I'm sure there are worse things in this world than dating you. I could fall into a tar pit, for instance."

"Oh, _ha ha_. Admit it: you fantasize about me."

"I DO NOT!"

"Oh, you totally do!"

"You two argue like a married couple."

"Oh! Sosuke! I didn't know you were here!"

Sosuke Hitsugaya sighed. "And I had to give myself away . . . "

"Shoulda stayed quiet, dude." Renji said. It was a widely known fact that, like her mother had his father, Hanako drove Sosuke insane. It had been like that for as long as any of them could remember.

"So . . . Who am I sparring with first?" Raedon asked, trying to break the tension.

"I'll fight you, Kurosaki, if it means getting away from Hisagi."

"Good, then! Come on."

* * *

Raedon and Sosuke stood on opposing pillars in the training ground.

"Let's get started!" Raedon yelled out. He held out his zanpakuto. "Blast apart, Tsuinboruto!"

His zanpakuto split in two, each becoming wider and ending in a wickedly barbed head.

"We're releasing Shikai already? OK, then. Rule the frozen earth, Tsuyakeshi Tori!" Sosuke called. Another blade extended from the hilt of his zanpakuto, which had extended to allow for two hands. The end result was a blade-staff with the blades curving in opposite directions. "Here I come."

Raedon moved at the same time Sosuke did. All that the others were able to see was that the combatants had swapped places, and that Sosuke had somehow managed to cut Raedon's shoulder, and Raedon Sosuke's cheek. Then the two shunpo'd towards each other once again, this time stopping in mid air, swords clashing too quickly to follow. They separated again, each gasping for breath.

Raedon held up both of his blades. "Futago no Inazuma!" he yelled, bringing his arms down across his body, sending an X-shaped blast of lightning towards his opponent.

Sosuke leapt over it, only to see another two blasts, these looking eerily similar to Captain Kurosaki's Getuga Tensho, flying towards him.

"Sutorobo Reitō," Sosuke said calmly as he began to twirl his zanpakuto in front of him. A large white beam flashed out of his staff-sword, freezing the electricity (A/N I honestly don't know if that's possible, but it sounds bad-ass, no?) in midair. The now-solidified crescents fell to the ground and shattered. The beam didn't stop at the point of impact, and if Raedon hadn't shunpo'd to the left as quickly as he could, he'd have been completely frozen.

"Sosuke! You trying to kill me?" Raedon yelled.

"I knew you'd dodge. Besides, you're going all out, why can't I?"

"I held back, jackass! Those are the wimpiest Inazumas I've launched in months!"

"Sutorobo Reito."

"Gyaaaaaah!" Raedon cried out as he leapt to the side, again narrowly avoiding the blast of freezing energy.

* * *

The battle had ended up lasting for three hours and, as with any duel between Raedon and Sosuke, there was no clear winner. Renji had healed all of the combatants' wounds (thankfully he was better at kido than his father was) then he and Hanako had fought, then everyone went home.

Gallus lay in bed, having sensed both battles and their outcomes from his home, some ten miles away. _If they don't learn to control their power, they'll lure in an army of Hollows. The thing is, I don't know whether or not they'd regret it. Probably just call it "training" and kill all of them._ Gallus wondered how that would turn out. And how angry his father would be with his brother afterwords. Sometimes I'm glad to be the "good twin."

He heard Raedon come in through the front door, then heard a conversation between his father and brother ("Son, did you remember what your mother and I told you before you left?" "Shut up, you perverted old man!") Then Raedon came into the bedroom, plopped down on the bed, and fell asleep.

_How he falls asleep so easily is beyond me . . ._ Gallus thought.

* * *

**Wow . . . I can not write a fight scene.**

**Feedback? Please? If I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I can't fix it. I'm gonna aim low and say five reviews before the next chapter. That way I know **_**someone**_** liked it, and I'm not wasting my time.**


	2. Squad Assignment

**I know, I know. "It's only been a day or two since you last posted! And I thought you'd wait until you had five reviews!" Well, that was the original plan, but I'm not a very patient person. I read one review, then thought "Huh. Good enough for me. Better write a new chapter." There's a bit of a (huge) time jump here, but don't be too mad at me. I doubt you would have wanted to read the rest of their time in the Academy, because I had zero ideas for that, and . . . Yeah. Anyways, Zhenga11 asked me to post the pairings in this chapter. So far, there's HitsuHina, IchiRuki, and RangikuXShuhhei. I'm thinking KyorakkuXNanao, UryHime, and ChadXTatsuki will be in later chapters. If you have any pairing requests, I'll take them into account.**

**And now, Chapter 2!**

* * *

**Two Years Later**

"Kurosaki! Oi, Kurosaki!" Captain Hitsusgaya yelled as he charged towards his fellow captain.

"Huh? Oh! Hey, Toshiro."

"THAT"S CAPTAIN HITSU-"

"Oh, stuff it! I'm a captain too, Toshiro, and have been for some time. I don't think the formalities are really necessary." Ichigo turned back to the courtyard below him. From the balcony, he could see the recently-graduated Academy class gathered for squad assignments.

_And my sons are down there . . . Good Lord, I feel old._

"I guess you're right, Ichigo. But don't you think you should be down there with them, rather than up here looking down? This is a big day for Raedon and Gallus! If you're not down there, they may be mad at you."

"I can't go down there. I'd probably have a breakdown, then they'd be mad at me anyway. Besides, Rukia and the girls are down there. I'm sure the twins would probably just play it off as my being too busy to come if I don't show."

Toshiro nodded, and they sat in silence for a minute. Then Ichigo grinned.

"Hey, Toshiro?"

"Yeah?"

"Isn't your son down there, too?"

Ichigo sat for a minute, waiting for a reply. Then he looked over and realized the other captain was gone.

"Huh. I wonder what Hinamori will say to him for being late?"

"I'd guess the same thing I'm about to say to you."

"Huh? Rukia, what are you doing up here?"

"Please, don't tell me you thought I didn't know where you were. Or that I wouldn't drag you to our sons' induction into the Gotei Thirteen? Come on, Ichigo. It's starting soon."

"Rukia . . ." Ichigo sighed, "I don't think I should. It'd probably end up the same as when Dad came to see me made captain of Squad Nine."

"Idiot. Just because your dad's insane, it doesn't mean you are. So come on."

"No, Rukia."

* * *

Five minutes later, Ichigo stood in line between Shunsui Kyoraku and Toshiro with a sore ear. Shunsui laughed.

"Ichigo, I hate to break it to you, but you're licked. Little Miss Kurosaki has you wrapped around her finger."

"Don't I know it. She's a very violent little midget, but I love her anyway. So, any specific hopes for new squad-mates?"

"I wouldn't mind having one of your sons in my division. Apparently, they were both in the top three in their class."

Toshiro turned to look at them both. "Shut up, it's starting. And besides, my son was ranked higher than both of his!"

"Captain Hitsugaya."

Toshiro looked slightly scared. "Y-yes, Head Captain?"

"If you would rather run this event, be my guest."

"Er, no thank you sir! I'm sure you'll run it better than I ever could!"

"Then be quiet."

"Yes sir." Toshiro was turning red as he spoke to the Captain of Squad 1, and he could see that a few of the new recruits trying not to laugh. They were failing. So were Shunsui and Ichigo.

"Now then! Today, you will be assigned to your new squad. The captains are in order of squad number, and when I call your name and squad, you will go to stand behind the corresponding captain. First on the list . . . Ichibu Dansei! You will join Squad Five! Please report to Captain Hirako! Next, Zatto Garu! You will join Squad Seven! Report to Captain Komamura! No, girl, he's the fox. Next . . ."

This went on for some time. There were about two hundred recruits standing before the captains, and each was called individually. Ichigo took no notice until . . .

"Sosuke Hitsugaya! You will join Squad Three! Report to Captain Ōtoribashi! Gallus Kurosaki! You will join Squad Six! I'm sure you know which captain to report to? Good. Raedon Kurosaki! You will join Squad Eight! Please report to Captain Kyoraku immediately!"

Ichigo smiled. _I don't know about Sosuke, but my boys got captains to match their personalities. This should be fun . . ._

Shunsui was almost ready to explode. _Holy crap, I got a Kurosaki! And if he's anything like his father, my squads much better off now! We'll be famous!_

Nanao, who was standing to the left of her captain (as all the lieutenants were) pinched him on the arm.

"Ah! Nanao, what was that for?"

"I felt that you deserved it."

_Holy crap . . . Little Nanao can read minds! Almost makes me feel bad about the thoughts I've had about her. Unless she enjoyed them?_

He got pinched again. _Now I'm thoroughly convinced! I'm scared._

* * *

Gallus walked up to his uncle, bowed, and fell in line behind him.

_Uncle Byakuya's my captain? That's good. Anyone but Zaraki was fine with me, but I think I'll be happier in Squad Six than I would've been in one of the less dignified squads.._

Raedon walked up to his captain, waved, then fell in line behind him.

_Captain Kyoraku's squad? Sweet! Drinking parties and women! This is gonna be awesome! I was just hoping that I wouldn't be put in with Zaraki. Come to think of it, I don't think I would've liked having Uncle as a captain, either. He's kinda stuck-up,but this is gonna be fun!_

Ichigo looked at his new recruits. He knew a couple of them (Renji Abarai, Jr., and Hanako Hisagi) by name, but the rest he would have to become acquainted with later.

"Alright, guys and girls, welcome to squad nine! As you may or may not know, we're in charge of security and, for some reason, the arts. 'The arts' only includes the Seretei News Magazine, but if you want to work on that, talk to Lieutenant Hisagi, 'cause I leave all of that to him. I'm not overtly strict (or, at least I don't think I am), but if there's work to be done, and no one's doing it, expect repercussions. Remember, if you need anything, just come to me, I'll help if I can."

Byakuya Kuchiki looked at his recruits.

_Gallus. My better nephew. Maybe this isn't such a bad bunch after all._

"Listen up. In Squad Six, we have no specific duty, but that does not mean that you may slack off. If any of you step out of line, appropriate punishment will be assigned. If you break the laws of Soul Society, do not expect me to come to your aid. I will be the first to come after you."

Nanao looked at the rookies in front of her.

"Listen up, men! Considering some of the rumors about our squad, most of what you know is probably untrue! We do not have drinking parties, and we don't lounge about all day! We work hard, and we do well! If I catch any of you slacking off, I will get angry." She removed her glasses. "You don't want to see me angry, do you?"

The recruits give her hurried negatives, and she is satisfied.

"All right, if you are given paperwork for the captain, give it to me. He doesn't like working unless I make him."

* * *

Raedon, Hanako, Renji, Jr., Sosuke, and Gallus sat in the old underground training room, the last to the surprise of the rest (he usually acted like he was too good to hang out with them.)

"So, how're the squads?" Renji asks

"Not too bad. You're dad's actually a pretty cool captain." Hanako says to Raedon and Gallus, and Renji nods.

"I knew he would be. It takes a lot to earn as much of my dad's respect as Captain Kurosaki has. What about you, Sosuke?"

"Captain Ōtoribashi isn't too bad. He keeps insisting that we call him Rose, though. It's kind of weird."

"Huh. Uncle just wants us to stay in line, not do anything we shouldn't."

"He's also looking down his nose at everyone but you and mom, but who cares about that?" Raedon gripes.

"Please, like that oaf Kyoraku is better than my captain?"

"Hell, yeah! He actually talks to people, not ants. He's pretty down to earth."

"Then why didn't he welcome you to his squad? He left it to Nanao. didn't he?"

"Well, yeah, but she's probably better at that stuff than he is, anyway. She's more work oriented, he's more of a people person."

"He's a slacker, and that's all there is to it."

"Hey, stop arguing you two!" Hanako yells.

"Yeah, seriously guys, save the drama for later." Renji agreed.

"This moron insulted my captain! You think I'm just gonna take that?" Raedon says

"You insulted my family! It was retaliation!"

"I am your family, moron!"

"You are not my only relative."

"And? That doesn't pull the rod out of Uncle Byakuya's ass!"

"Freeze the skies, Shimo Uyoku." Gallus's zanpakuto became a large blue claymore, with frost running up and down the blade **(****A/N**** think Frostborne from Warcraft, but without the skull on the hilt. Or the runes.)**

"You want to fight? Fine! I'll take you down! Blast apart, Tsuinboruto!" The twin blades appeared in his hands.

"Drill one: Tōketsu Yōsai!" Gallus yelled, stabbing his blade into the ground. Shards of ice erupted from the floor, forcing Raedon into the air.

"Futago no Inazuma!" Raedon yells, bringing his blades down side-by-side.

The twin blasts of energy destroy each frozen spike they hit, and to Renji, it doesn't appear that they are slowing down.

"Slash, Kamisori Hebi!" he yells, and his blade becomes a cord, with razor sharp edges and a zanpakuto hilt. "Kamisori Suto!"

The cord shoots into the ground, zooming beneath Gallus, and intercepts both bolts of electricity. The electricity is absorbed by the wire, then dispersed into the ground.

"You're siding with him?" Raedon yells, outraged.

"I'm not siding with anyone! I don't even know why you're fighting! Either of you! I'm just trying to end this! Hanako!"

"Right! Flash, Moeru Tenshi!" Her blade doesn't change much, it only grows wider, and sharpens on both sides. Then the center hollows out, and fire pours from the tip. "Ten Kakyū!"

A large flame, shaped like a double-edged sword, flies from her zanpakuto, melting all of the shards that Raedon hasn't destroyed yet.

She leaps forward to stand before Gallus, facing him with her sword ready. Renji does the same for Raedon. Sosuke draws and activates his zanpakuto.

"Now," he says, "Sheathe your zanpakuto and go in opposite directions. Raedon, go home. Gallus, go to Kuchiki Manor. Stay with your uncle, if he'll allow it, until you've cooled off. If he doesn't, I'll ask my father to let you stay with us."

* * *

Gallus walks into Kuchiki Manor.

"My lord, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

"My brother and I have had a . . . disagreement, of sorts. Please ask my uncle if he will allow me to stay here until peace is a possibility, so as to spare Mother and Father repair expenses."

"Yes, Lord Gallus."

Gallus had always enjoyed coming to Kuchiki Manor. Even though he technically wasn't a Kuchiki, he was treated like a lord here. He'd never understood why Raedon didn't like it. It made Gallus feel powerful, like he could do anything he wanted, and it would be perfectly fine. Of course, this was not the case. He knew that, so he kept his fantasies of power inside his head, never letting himself slip into those habits.

"Lord Gallus?"

"Yes?"

"Lord Byakuya says that you may stay as long as you wish. Your room here is as you left it, with fresh sheets, of course. If there is anything you require, please do not hesitate to ask it of us."

"Good. Thank you."

Gallus went to his room, and, though it took him a while, he fell asleep.

Raedon went home. When he walked into the door, Rukia instantly knew something was wrong.

"Raedon? Where's your brother?"

"He's at Uncle Byakuya's. We needed to split up, cool off before we saw each other again."

"Did you two fight again?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah. I still don't know how we get so mad at each other so easily. We used to be best friends."

"I don't know, bud. Just give it time, I'm sure whatever's come between you two will reveal itself eventually." Ichigo advises his son. "Let's just all go to bed. Hopefully Gallus will have calmed down by morning."

"'K. G'ngiht."

Raedon went to his room, started to fall into bed, and fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

**And so I accidentally make Gallus slightly evil. I didn't mean too, Gallus has always been the good guy in my mind. Raedon's always been . . . well, me. Or how I see myself. I don't see any of these things here. But, hey, it works! I like it! By the way, we leave for my grandparents' tomorrow. I will come back, but my sister won't, so I won't be able to use my laptop again until I figure out how to fix my charger. But! I won't have to worry about that until the twentieth! And I promise that I'll save up for another laptop! I was going to anyway, but making a promise to whomever may read this makes me want to do it more!**


	3. Angels & Demons

**Alright, so here's the deal, if you haven't guessed it already. I suck at writing filler chapters, so I'm just writing the important points in Raedon and Gallus's lives. Also, I may suck at grammar. I'm not sure. Anyway, here's Chapter 3!**

* * *

**Five months later**

"Captain Kyoraku!"

Raedon watched as his captain began to fall towards the streets of Karakura Town, far below. He turned back to face the horde of Hollows that, for some reason, surrounded the town. Dozens of Shinigami, including his family, had been sent in to stem the tide. Gallus was sure that he could see a flurry of Getsugatenshou making temporary gaps in the line.

_Three squads isn't going to cut it. We need all thirteen, plus the Royal Squad Zero._

"Futago no Inazuma!" he shouts, sending a flurry of lightning bolts towards the massive force. Each bolt left gaps in the Hollow line, but the spaces were filled within seconds of the blasts.

_Damn . . . Where'd all these bastards come from? What the hell do they want?_

Hollows had been streaming into Karakura Town nonstop for the past five hours. Squads Nine, Six, and Eight had been dispatched to the world of the living to try to stop the flow. Word had come an hour ago that the other ten squads were gathering war parties to join the battle, but it would take at least another three. A few brave souls (Or idiots, Raedon thought) had joined the three squads in the fight. No-one there thought it would be enough.

The Hollows began to advance on Raedon's line. He led a small group in a counter-charge, and was quickly separated. He began to slash with both of his blades, firing off lightning bolts, dodging, hacking, leaping. He slaughtered Hollows left and right, but didn't see the single Hollow who somehow managed to destroy both his Soul Chain and Soul Sleep. Raedon gasped. He coughed, and felt blood on his lips. He began to fall.

* * *

Hanako saw Raedon begin to fall. Her heart clenched. Her best friend was hurt, and she didn't even know if he was alive or dead. She began to move toward him, but was blocked off by Hollows. A particullarly large Hollow smacked Raedon as he fell.

"Raedon! Don't die, dammit! RAEDON!"

_I love you . . ._

* * *

Gallus stared at a veritable wall of Hollows.

_Can we really win this?_

"Drill two: Shiro no Kūchū Kōgeki!"

Shards of white ice appeared in the air around the teen, hovering in place until he pointed his sword at a Hollow. Then the shards flew towards the Hollow in question. The Hollow dodged, but the shards followed it. It blasted the ice with a cero, shattering them.'

The shards didn't stop.

With exponentially increased numbers, the shards enveloped the Hollow, along with many around it.

"Bankai. Zenbonzakura Kageyoshi."

A stream of pink suddenly flew past Gallus' head.

The Hollow behind him, whose bladed arm had been raised to strike the teen down, shattered.

"U-uncle, I am further indebted to you."

"If I need to save you again," Byakuya Kuchiki said, "You may become a servant in my house, instead of a guest."

"Y-yes, Uncle Byakuya."

Suddenly, a massive amount of spirit energy disappeared. Then they heard the yell.

"RAEDON!"

* * *

Raedon woke up on the edge of a jagged cliff. The grey stone around him toward to unknown heights, and he was insanely high above the floor of the canyon below.

_Why am I in my inner world? What's going on?Where's my Shihakushō? And why do I feel so hungry?_

"_**Raedon**_."

Raedon turned around and saw a large, black dragon. The dragon had white spines running down its back and a pair of white horns.

"Master Tsuinboruto." Raedon said, bowing.

_**"I am glad to see you have not lost respect for your teacher, but we have something more important to see to. Your Soul's Chain and Sleep have both been destroyed. Ordinarily, this would mean that you were no longer a Shinigami."**_

Raedon's mouth dropped open. He couldn't believe it.

_I . . . I'm no longer a Shinigami?_

_**"Do not be afraid, little one. Whilst training with your father, I learned his story from his partner, Zangetsu. According to Master Zangetsu, Ichigo Kurosaki once stood where you stand, figuratively speaking. His Soul Chain and Soul Sleep were destroyed by your uncle's partner, in a successful attempt to remove him so that your mother could be returned to Soul Society. When he next ventured into his inner world, Master Zangetsu told him that he still had power, but it was hidden deep within him. The same is true for you, Raedon Kurosaki. Now you must find my blade. Quickly, before this world crumbles!"**_

As if to accentuate his words, a large portion of the cliff shattered, falling into the river far below.

"How do I find the blade?"

"You must find it yourself. I cannot help you, but should you fail . . . you will become a Hollow."

"Damn. I will do my best, Master Tsuinboruto!"

With that, he flash-stepped off of the cliff.

* * *

Rukia and Ichigo stood back to back.

"Shit. Rukia, do we know anything at all about this?"

"You're the captain, fool! I thought you'd know!"

"Shut up, Midget! I was visiting Yuzu and Karin when this all started!"

"Well you should have paid more attention!"

"How was I supposed to know that this would happen on my vacation?"

They argued for a bit longer, cutting down Hollows all the while. It was how they dealt with nerves. That was the way it had always been, as Rukia realized in those moments. Surrounded by Hollows and friends, she thought back to their first meeting, and everything that had happened since. Looking back, she noted that he'd always been this way around her. He'd fire off an insult every few minutes, but he wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt her. Not Hollows, or Renji, or Byakuya, or Bounts, or Arrancar, not anything. She realized once again, in the midst of the biggest battle she'd ever seen, just how much she loved him.

"Ichigo . . . Just in case I don't make it through this . . ."

"Idiot . . . Shut up. You're not going to die here. I won't let you."

"Ichigo . . . "

She looked up at him, but he had already re-entered the fray. She reached the edge and looked at the battle from the sidelines.

Gallus and Byakuya stood back to back, firing of shards of ice and streams of blades. Ichigo flash-stepped from Hollow to Hollow, leaving none alive. Nanao was firing Kido into the horde. Kenpachi, Ikaku, and Yumichika slashed or stabbed at anything that came too close. Rukia noticed that the other Shinigami steered clear of them. Hisagi was throwing his blades into the masses repeatedly. Hanako had learned to expand the size of her Ten Kakyū, and it appeared that a massive, double-edged sword bearing angel stood before her, stopping any Hollows who came anywhere near. Uryu and his wife stood on a building, firing Tsubaki and arrow-shaped blasts of spiritual energy into the sky. Chad and Tatsuki stood on the ground, using El Directo and various styles of martial arts to fend off the Hollows. Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin stood guard on the roof of the Kurosaki Clinic. Uruhara, Yuroichi, Jinta, Urruru, and Tessai were standing in a cluster in the park. Renji had released his bankai over the river. She even thought she saw a couple of the Fullbringers in the fray. She had wondered where they'd all gone to.

Rukia saw all of this, and realized two things. First, the humans and Shinigami were being slowly surrounded, the Hollows around them quickly closing in.

Second, Raedon was gone. Her son was missing in action.

* * *

Raedon flashed down the cliff, avoiding the debris caused by his now-exploding inner world.

A blast went off to his right, and he saw a sealed Zanpakuto spin off toward the ground, faster than he could flash after it.

He began to leap from rock to rock, sometimes running for a few seconds before clearing the falling boulders. The zanpakuto continued to fall until . . .

SPLASH!

Raedon was suddenly underwater.

_What the hell? The river was still a few thousand feet below me, at least! And where'd that damn sword go?_

He looked around frantically, seeing nothing but boulders and rubble. Slowly, much more slowly than he would have been able to before coming to his inner world, he built up a bit of spiritual energy.

_Can I talk underwater here? Let's try it!_

"COME TO ME, TSUINBORUTO!"

He almost had to duck to the side to keep from being impaled on the blade. It flew through the water like a torpedo, and he barely had the strength to hold on when he caught it.

Suddenly, the water began to churn, and Raedon saw his Shihakushō had reappeared. He lept out, clearing the cliff in less than a second.

"Master Tsuinboruto! I have it!"

But Master Tsuinboruto wasn't there. Instead there was a man who looked to have no pigment anywhere but in his eyes, which were black with gold irises.

* * *

Rukia stood and gazed at the battle.

_Even with Ichigo here . . . __without help, __we__'ll__ all die._

At that moment, a Senkaimon opened behind her. Many more opened a few yards behind it. From the first gate emerged an old man with a long white beard and rippling muscles.

Rukia bowed. "Head-Captain Yamamotto. The situation is not good, sir."

"I know. Now, though, this ends."

At these words, the dozens of other Senkaimon opened, and Shinigami appeared in military formations. Ranks upon ranks of warriors stood, ready to face down the Hollows.

Suddenly, the Ichigo, Gallus, Byakuya, the other Shinigami, and the humans appeared beside Rukia and the head captain.

"Alright, Old Man, what's the plan? Shunsui and who-knows-how-many others are down."

"Captain Kurosaki. Take your squad and form ranks on Squad Ten's left flank. Lieutenant Ise, do the same on Squad Seven's right. Captain Kuchiki, form up on Eight's other flank. Quickly!"

"Yes, sir!" those who had received orders replied.

* * *

As the squads formed up, two individuals appeared from a Garganta above the Hollows. Many of the normal Hollows fled when they appeared.

"Great. Just what we need, wimpy grunts." one man said. His hair was wild and black, and he was darkly colored. He had what looked like a flake of bone running down the left side of his face.

"Silence, Kira. We'll simply have to bring in the Gillian sooner than anticipated." said the other, this one in a white trench coat with shades to match.

"Damnit, Tsumetai ! We don't have too many to spare. The orange-haired guy looked like he could take out about half our army himself. The old man's almost just as strong! No way. For now, we should send in Gillian and upper-class non-Menos Hollows, then get back to Hueco Mundo and rethink our strategy."

"Fine. But we put an Arrancar at the head of every squad that comes in."

"That I can live with."

Rukia looked up, amazed. "Ichigo, are they retreating? After all of that?"

"Looks like it, but I still feel uneasy. I don't think this is over."

As if on cue, dozens of Garganta opened opposite the Senkaimon. Hollows poured out once more, but these were all more organized about it. These Hollows were lead by human-sized Arrancar.

* * *

"Shit." The Head Captain said, just loud enough for those closest to him to hear. He then raised his voice."Captains Kurosaki and Zaraki and their squads will lead the first charge! Behind them, squads Eight, Ten, and Seven! Charge!"

Ichigo and Kenpachi surged forward, each moving faster than the eye could see. Four squads of Shinigami disappeared behind them, along with a few squads of Hollows.

All was silent in the air over Karakura for a few seconds. A few clouds began to gather as those who were left in the Department of Research and Development created an excuse for the damage that would surely be caused.

After those few seconds, all hell broke loose.

* * *

Raedon looked at the golden-eyed man "Who the hell are you? Where is Master Tsuinboruto?"

_"Kid, do you not recognize me?"_

"Eh . . . No."

_"Then let me show ya something."_

The white man suddenly grabbed Raedon by the face. Raedon gasped, but, before the sound escaped, they were over the edge of the cliff.

The man stopped beside the water. He shoved Raedon around so that he was looking at it.

_"See any similarities? Huh, kid?"_

"You . . . Are you . . . You're me, aren't you?"

_"Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Hey, Tsuinboruto, tell him what he's won!"_

Flakes of white spirit energy flowed off of the man, forming into the large dragon.

_**"Raedon. When your spirit energy was unable to be stored or regenerated, you temporarily became a Hollow. As such, I was only half of your power. This man, this Hollow, is the other half. Defeat him, prove your dominance, and you will gain control! Otherwise, he will take over, and you and I will be unable to do anything but sit and watch what will undoubtedly be the very long life of a very powerful beast!"**_

_"All right, Lizzie, that's enough!"_ Tsuinboruto's spirit energy was absorbed into the Hollow. _"Now, then. Let's get this over with, huh? I got people to eat!"_

Raedon held Tsuinboruto out in front of him. The Hollow did the same.

"_B_L_A_S_T_ A_P_A_R_T_,_ _T_S_U_I_N_B_O_R_U_T_O_!_"_ they both yelled at once, and there was a massive blast of energy.

* * *

**Why did I think this was Chapter 4? Oh, well. Slight RaedonXHanako in this chapter. Totally unnecessary, won't go anywhere unless you guys tell me you want it to. I don't even know why I wrote it . . . I had no plans for them. But plans can be made, if they are wanted!**

**OK, so I'm leaving Monday. I'll try to have an OK Chapter 4 (the real one) up by then, and I intend to buy a flash drive before I leave. Then I'll star saving up for either a car or a laptop. I like this plan!**

**Rate and review? Please? PLEASE! *leans in close and whispers* Please?**


	4. Battle's End

**So here's my excuse: Raedon's Hollow (by itself) is more powerful than Tsuinboruto (by himself), which is saying something. Therefore, Tsuinboruto couldn't keep it back, so, after Raedon was able to prove that he could remain spiritually stable even with a Hollow inside him, it decided to challenge Raedon for dominance, ASAP. So yeah.**

The groups of Hollows and Shinigami had stopped, equidistant from a man standing in the air. The man had spiky black hair and a white mask with fins and what looked like flows of bright-blue tears on it.

He held two blue swords.

Ichigo, Kenpachi, and a few others were still able to move, but stood still, waiting to see what would happen.

Raedon turned to his father.

_"He has strong feelings for you. He looks up to you! You're his fucking hero!"_

Ichigo started, fearful for his son.

_Raedon . . . You can beat him. Kick his ass, but do it quickly._

_"YOU DIE FIRST!" _and the Hollow lunged.

Rukia looked and saw a figure suddenly appear and attack her husband. She began to move forward to help him, but then the spiritual pressure reached the reserve Shinigami. She stopped. She couldn't move.

_Raedon? What happened to you?_

Raedon and the Hollow exchanged blows with dizzying speed. The ground at the base of the cliff cracked, and a few boulders fell, only to be crushed by the spiritual pressure.

The Hollow and Ichigo clashed in the center of no-man's land, and the resulting backlash knocked everyone around them back.

Raedon slashed the man's cheek. The monster opened a gash in his thigh.

The Hollow fired a blast of electricity at Ichigo. A Getsuga stopped it in its tracks.

Raedon screamed as he hacked at his inner beast. The thing laughed and slashed at the Shinigami.

Ichigo released his Bankai, attempting to beat back the creature that had taken over his son's body. Raedon's body laughed maniacally, slashing right back.

The battle raged on for over half an hour. Outside, no one could move. At some times, a random Hollow would be caught in the crossfire. At others, a Shinigami would fall. No one moved, for even those who could were too astounded by the phenomenon before them.

Inside, Raedon stopped.

His body was on fire, his muscles screaming for respite. He knelt at the base of the once smooth wall of the cliff. The Hollow stood a few yards away, laughing and yelling something about how he would take over Raedon's body and use it to kill everyone he loved.

_"I'll start with your father! Heh, I wonder what the world'll be like without Mr. Hero there. Then I'll move on to your precious Hanako! I'll enjoy watching the little bitch squirm. I'll even let you watch."_

_Shit . . ._

Ichigo stood panting, his Hollow mask beginnning to crack.

_Shit . . . This bastard may kill me. When was the last time I thought like that? Ginjo? Aizen?_

_**"He is your son, Ichigo. I wouldn't be surprised."**_

_You're very helpful, Old Man Zangetsu._

_**"What will you do?"**_

_I don't know. I'll fight until that damn mask breaks off, hopefully._

_**"ICHIGO! Remember what I told you, so long ago! Do not hope in battle. If you dodge, you won't let them cut you. If you protect someone, you won't let them die. If you attack, you kill!"**_

_Then what do I do when I want to protect the one attacking the ones I want to save?_

Raedon gasped for air. The Hollow was still on the offensive, but Raedon's defenses were slipping. He'd gotten five more cuts in the last few seconds. If this kept up, he'd bleed to death.

_**"Raedon."**_

_Master?_

_**"You have an uncanny understanding of your zanpakuto, Raedon. All of the other blades I have crossed have envied me that, including Master Zangetsu. You should have tried for Bankai years ago, but consider this your trial. Cut him at least ten more times before you drop, and I will bestow upon you your Bankai. I will grant you ultimate power!"**_

_"Don't tell me that's all you have! You know I'll kill everyone you love, and you're giving in this soon? Pathetic."_

Raedon struggled to stand.

_Bankai? No. I'm not ready for that._

"_**Are you sure?"**_

_"It's almost like you don't even care! Are you that heartless, kid? Do you _want _them to die?"_

He'd made it to his hands and knees.

_I'm not quite good enough for Bankai. I don't deserve it yet._

"_**You were good enough for Bankai years ago. Don't be stupid."**_

_"First up, Ichigo Kurosaki! Then Rukia, his lovely wife! After that, that prick Gallus! Then Hanako, Masaki, and Hisana! I'll let you watch each and every one!"_

_I can't use Bankai. Too bad._

"_**You truly are stubborn. Oh, well."**_

_"Are you even listenning? Does this matter to you at all? Taunting's no fun if I don't get a response, ya know?"_

_I don't need it to kill this bastard._

_**Then I shall give you something else.**_

"Raijin no Ikarik!"

Electricity was suddenly everywhere. Lightning bolts sprang to the canyon walls, through the river, and towards the bone-white man standing on the bank.

_"Shit! Where did this come from?"_

Raedon leapt towards the Hollow, slicing open his arm.

_And the speed, too! What happened to this kid?_

Suddenly, the Hollow was on the defensive. He barely blocked an attack, noticing that his hands tingled a bit when their blades met. He dodged a blast of electricity, and realized that he could see sparks running along Raedon's Tsuinboruto.

_Screw this. I CAN BEAT THIS WHELP!_

The Hollow leapt through the air, sword raised high. He stopped before Raedon, confused. He'd put more than enough power into that jump to make it to his target. The young Shinigami before him wasn't even holding a weapon!

_Wait . . . Where are his swords?_

Raedon grinned.

Ichigo's mask broke for the third time that night. Raedon had gone completelly Hollow by that point, and looked like some sort of crying gargoyle. The thought reminded him of something he'd seen on TV once. Something about a man with a time travelling phone booth . . .

But that wasn't important. He needed to focus. His son would become a Hollow if that mask didn't come off soon.

"Captain Kurosaki! You have waited long enough! End this now!"

"What? Yammamoto, this is my _son!_ I won't kill him until I'm perfectly sure!"

Byakuya Kuchiki leapt in front of Ichigo.

"Scatter, Zenbonsakura!"

Ichigo blocked each of the thousand blades before they could touch his son.

"I said no, damn it!"

"Stand aside, Ichigo. We have our orders."

"And you vowed to never disobey the law. I never made that promise. I will defend my family!"

_Crack!_

Ichigo and Byakuya both turned to the object of their argument. A large, spiderweb-shaped crack had appeared on the beast's chest.

What appeared to be a stream of rose petals flew toward the crack. Blood shot out from the new hole and the armor began to fall apart, leaving Raedon standing, mask still attached, in the middle of what had almost been a battle. He looked down at the gaping hole in his chest.

The Arrancar-led Hollows looked on, unbeknownst to the Shinigami, with awe. This _boy_ had challenged Ichigo Kurosaki and lived. Not only that, he'd held his own!

Aforementioned boy fell backwards, plummeting to the earth below.

The Hollows and Shinigami stared in amazement. Both sides had taken massive damage from stray spirit energy, and everyone there (with obvious exceptions) were worn out by the spiritual pressure released. Hollows and Shinigami fell from the sky, unable to stand once the power that had held them up vanished.

The only ones who remained standing were the Seated Shinigami and a few Arrancar. Ichigo turned to his brother in law.

"Byakuya . . ."

The noble looked at the moron his sister had married. "We had orders, Ichigo. Even if he was family, the laws of Seretei come first. We must never disobey our superiors."

Rukia stood (barely) beside the Head Captain.

"Head Captain . . . Sir, may I return to the Sereitei?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Kurosaki. Go and grieve for your son."

She looked up to Ichigo and Byakuya. They appeared to be arguing. She wanted to smack them both. Ichigo because he'd let it happen and would comfort her afterwards, Byakuya because . . .

_I can't even think it. It's just too much. _The petite Death God turned and opened a gate to the Precipice World. She was dimly aware of the fact that a few of the remaining Shinigami leapt away from Head Captain Yammamotto, but she just wanted to get home.

Yammamotto watched the girl leave. Then he looked towards what had caused the commotion.

_I'm glad she left when she did, _He thought, _losing her son and husband both in one day will torture her forever. At least she didn't see it happen._

**My first attempt at a cliffhanger! Haha, I didn't even mean for that to happen. I had an idea for how this chapter should end, then I wrote the last line and my mind went blank. I'm not so good at this . . .**

**Rate/review if you so desire. I don't care. Much. Overtly much. Please?**


	5. Life Goes On

**Problems: I haz many. Chapter five!**

_This is bull. We went over the Pythagorean Theorem two years ago!_

**Name: Raedon Urahara**

**Age: Eighteen**

**Occupation: High School-Senior Class, Part-time employee at Urahara's Shop**

Raedon Uruhara sat at his desk at Karakura High. It was just the same boring routine, at the same boring school, with the same damn people. Nothing ever changed!

Raedon was just an ordinary teen, in an ordinary town, attending an ordinary school. He had a roof over his head, a loving family (adopted though they may have been), and was at the top of his class at Karukura High. According to most, he had a good life.

According to him, it was too damn boring.

Nothing ever happened to him or because of him, except maybe a few extra customers in Urahara's Shop. Rarely ever did anything change, and when it did, it usually went back to normal within a few weeks.

That wasn't to say that Karakura was a boring town. There were constant reports of explosions and such all over the city. There was even a task force that did nothing but hunt down leads on the frequent blasts. They never found anything, but . . . Still.

He was looking forward to going home. Sure, all his friends were at school, but he didn't get to talk to them. They had no classes together, and lunch was too short for any kind of decent conversation **(A/N I'm basing this off of my school. I don't know the Karakura set-up.)**. The only person he really talked to was Marcus "Phoenix" Gray. The two were almost identical. Looked similar, acted _incredibly_ similar, and had a lot of the same interests. The only real difference was Marcus could get a girlfriend, although he didn't want one.

"Mr. Uruhara! Are you even paying attention?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Alright, then, tell me the Pythagorean Theorem!"

"Erase it from the board first, please. I won't be proving anything if I can read it over your shoulder."

"Are you back sassing me, Urahara?"

"No, ma'am. I'm simply saying that there is nothing to be gained from stating to you what I can plainly see on the board behind you." The teacher erased the board.

"Please grace us with the Pythagorean Theorem, Mr. Urahara."

"Ay squared plus bee squared is equal to see squared, in which see is equal to the length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle and ay and bee are equal to the length of the legs."

"T-that is absolutely correct, Urahara! How did you know that? You're always doodling! I don't think you've ever paid attention in my class!"

_That's because it was just on the board, and I know everything you've been teaching already anyway. _"I study at home, ma'am." _Not technically a lie . . ._

Every evening after he went home, Raedon trained and studied under his adoptive father, Kisuke Uruhara. He taught Raedon the ways of sword fighting and Japanese lore. Raedon knew more than anyone else he knew about such things. He could tell you where to cut a Hollow in order to kill it effortlessly, how not to hold your sword if you want to keep your fingers for as long as possible, and the names of all of the captains in the Gotei 13. The lieutenants bothered him sometimes, but he always knew the captains.

He often fantasized about training under one of the captains. He'd always wondered which Squad he would fit in with most. Shunsui Kyoraku's Squad Eight? Hitsugiya Toshiro's Squad Ten? Jyuushiro Ukitake's Squad Thirteen? Anyone but Zaraki Kenpachi would have been fine with Raedon. That man was scary, but he was just a legend. They all were.

However, there was one legend that stood out from the others. Kurosaki Ichigo, captain of Squad nine.

_Dad._ Raedon thought. He chuckled. He'd never known who his parents were, although he suspected that Uruhara did. If he didn't want to tell Raedon, then that was fine. But it was fun to pretend that the only man who held his own against Aizen, the only Substitute Shinigami who hadn't turned evil, and the first of the Visord to be accepted by Soul Society as a whole, was his father. He'd heard that some Christians asked themselves, WWJD? He often found himself replacing the "J" with an "I." Sure, that sounds a bit obsessive, but his life was boring-az. He thought it was fun, so he did it.

He went home to Uruhara's Shop, smacked Jinta to get him to stop yanking Ururu's hair, and sat down in his room to read manga. He read _Death Note_ (Holy crap! [**A/N SPOILER ALERT**!] L's dead! Damn you, Light!) until Kisuke came to get him for his lessons. Then they went into the basement/training ground.

"Raedon, I think it's pop-quiz time."

Raedon groaned. "Pop-quiz time" was when Kisuke would ask any question he wanted, and if Raedon got it wrong, it meant extra chores. "Added stakes make you pay attention," Kisuke would say whenever Raedon asked if he could lay off with the extra work.

"Alright, question one: Who is the Captain of Squad Twelve of the Gotei thirteen?"

"Mayuri Korutsuchi."

"Good, good, now who is his lieutenant?

"Nemu Korutsuchi."

"Wow, thought you'd forgotten that one **(A/N I DID!)**_"_

_I'm better at this than you think old man._

"Alright, then, who defeated the Arrancar, Yami?"

"Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki."

"Who lost an arm in the battle with Aizen?"

"Head Captain Genryuusai Yammamoto and one of the Visords."

"Which one?"

"Hachigen?"

"Right. Now, who founded the Seretei Department of Research and Development?"

_Crap, I know this . . . _"Uhh . . . Mayuri Korutsuchi?"

"No. He's in charge now, though. You got that one wrong, so you're doing dishes tonight. Tell Ururu when we're done."

"Shit. Alright, so who founded the Department of Research and Development?"

"I did."

Raedon started laughing. "Right. You're the mighty Kisuke Uruhara, Shinigami extraordinaire! What, did they kick you out because you were so much better than them? Ha, I bet you've got your Zanpakuto on you right now, don't you?" He kept chuckling.

"Weep, Benihime."

"Ah! Blast apart, Tsuinboruto!"

An arc of red energy sped toward Raedon. A pair of blue swords appeared in his hands. One he held perpendicular to the energy heading toward him, the other with point touching the ground. The bar of red light hit the first blade, then ran through Raedon and into the dirt floor.

_How the hell did I do that? And where did these swords come from?_

"_**I have waited a long time for you to remember me, little one."**_

_Aww, fuck, I'm going insane. I knew it was bound to happen, living in this house._

"_**No, Raedon. You are still perfectly sane," **_the voice laughed, _**"and now that Kisuke has tested you, he knows that you still have your Shinigami powers. You can be great again, if you will listen to your old master."**_

_And who is my old master?_

_**ME. My name is Tsuinboruto. And I advise you to obey Kisuke Uruhara, and listen well to what he has to teach you. He was the best of the Shinigami, before Aizen created the Visoreds.**_

"Ha, I was wondering when that would happen."

The green-clad man's voice snapped Raedon out of his thoughts (conversation?).

"What do you mean old man?"

"You got hit by a hollow six months ago. Pretty hard, too. Apparently, it caused brain damage. I've been trying to re-awaken your memories ever since."

"Tsuinboruto says I should let you train me."

"Yes . . .?"

"When do we start?"

**I'm so proud of myself! I stopped writing for about two months, and I can still remember how to get Tsuinboruto into shikai without looking at my cheat sheet :D I even remembered how to spell his name! Anyway, school (crap), trying to woo women (I suck at that . . .), and the breaking of my laptop (my little sister dropped a radio on it) have kept me from trying to upload anything for the last while.**


	6. Bankai

**Blah blah blah, intro and story by Raedon Gallus, I still don't own BLEACH, here's Chapter Six!**

Orihime Ishida walked into Uruhara's shop. The voluptuous redhead **(A/N YAAAY TEDDIES! What? I love teddy bears.) **looked around and, not seeing Kisuke anywhere, decided to go to the underground training room.

_**THAAKKACRAAAAKBADOOM!**_

The door to the training room blew off in a burst of red and blue light. The buxom girl took this as an excellent invitation to investigate.

"FUTAGO NO INAZUMA!"

"WEEP, BENIHIME!"

"Sotenkisshun I reject!"

_**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Orihime stood in the center of a cracked sphere of orange reishi.

_What is this power? Whoever it is, he may be stronger than Ichigo!_

"RAIJIN NO IKARIK!"

Urahara was suddenly standing beside Orihime.

"Put a bit more power into the shield, Ishida. It's going to need it."

Lightning sprang from every direction, every arc streaking straight for Kisuke. Orihime's shield cracked.

Then it broke.

Kisuke threw up a blood shield around himself and Orihime before the lightning bolts could strike.

"I told you to put more power into it. Listen next time I say that, ok? I don't want you to die in a training accident or something."

Orihime was stunned. Nothing had broken her shield that quickly since the Winter War!

"Now, I'd recommend leaving, unless you've got something of vital importance. I've never ended a spar with this boy until there was a clear winner. If you have something that is incredibly important (or if you want to watch), go stand over there with Jinta and Tessai. Ururu will be down in a minute.

Tessai looked down at Orihime as she approached.

"Ah, Ishida. If you would, please put up a shield in front of mine, so that I will know if I need to add more power."

"Sure." She did so. "Tessai, who is that boy fighting with Uruhara?"

"A Shinigami whose power rivals, or may even have surpassed, Ichigo's. His name is Raedon. Uruhara found him lying in the street after that visord boy almost killed Captain Kurosaki a few months ago."

She remembered that day. It was the last time she'd seen Kurosaki. He had tried to kill his brother in law after the visord had been defeated. The identity of the visord boy was a closely guarded secret, kept only by those who had high ranks in the Gotei Thirteen and anyone who was there that could recognize his reishi under the taint of hollowfication.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH !" Lightning rained from the ceiling as the boy leapt about, clad in what appeared to be silver plate armor from feudal Europe without a helmet. The bolts struck the ground around Uruhara, but none connected.

"Raedon! Are you ready?" Kisuke had to yell to be heard

"Yes, Kisuke." The boy's voice rumbled like thunder, seeming to come from every direction at once, but he still sounded calm.

"Let it out, then! But be careful, we still have no idea what it does!"

"BANKAI!"

_Oh dear God,_ Orihime thought. Then she passed out.

Raedon looked down as the redhead fell. He wondered momentarily if those monumental melons of hers interfered with her ability to withstand spiritual pressure (**A/N they appear to interfere with cerebral growth . . .)**.

One of his swords flew out of his hand and into the ground. The earth began to rumble where it hit, and it sank into the dirt.

Then everything stopped.

"What, is that it?" Raedon heard Jinta yell. "That's lame. Totally anti-climactic."

Then the earth began to bulge outward from where the sword had sunk. The blade of the sword appeared, but where the hilt should have been, there was a scaly mass. The ground burst open, and there stood a small dragon (which, honestly, wasn't very small, but Raedon assumed most were bigger.) with only two legs and massive wings. The tip of its tail was sharp enough to cut, as (obviously) was the sword blade protruding from its snout.

"Tsuinborutowaibān!" Raedon hefted his other sword, the blade and hilt of which had extended, turning it into a longsword, but who notices that when a dragon's growing out of the ground? The suit of armor he wore had changed a bit, too. There was now an electric-blue cape hanging from his right shoulder and a dragon-head shaped helmet, the jaw of which was hinged. He brought the top jaw down, and realized that he could somehow see both what was in front of him and what Tsuinborutowaiban saw. The _really_ strange thing was that he wasn't at all confused by it.

He dropped down onto the dragon's back.

"Shall we continue, Master Uruhara?"

"Yes. Let's see what that dragon of yours can do. Benihime!"

The dragon vanished. The blast of red light from Uruhara's sword was just beginning to form, and Raedon appeared behind him. "Futago no Inazuma."

Kisuke's eyes grew wide, his sword still swinging. The bolt of electricity clipped his hat, knocking it off and cutting it in half.

"I do believe you've killed my hat. Oh, well. This is why I had a spare made, after all. Your father managed to chop it off the first time he launched a Getsuga. Did I ever tell you that? No? Oh, well. I'll have to tell you _that_ story sometime. Training's done for the day. Go see if Ururu needs any help with dinner, ok?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tessai?"

"Yes, Boss?"

"See if you can get Isshida up. She wasn't quite strong enough to stand Raedon and Tsuinborutowaiban at the same time."

"Yes, Boss!"

"Raedon!"

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow we start working on that hollow. Be ready."

"Yes, Kisuke."

_**I know, nothing much happened, but I just started writing again. I put this down a couple of months ago, and just now picked it back up. There's just so much going on in my life, I don't think of Legion often. Sorry. And, by the way, "YAAAY TEDDIES!" is an inside joke between me and the guy I based Marcus (whom you haven't actually seen yet) off of. If you say it quickly, it sounds highly inappropriate.**_


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